RESTITUTION OF A GLACIER INVERTS OUR ASSUMED PERSPECTIVE OF HUMANS AS THE CENTRE OF OUR ECOSYSTEM, MAKING US RETHINK OUR INTERDEPENDENCE WITH NON-HUMAN ENTITIES ON THE PLANET.
In a post-abundant Austria, natural entities have gained the status of a legal person. According to the „Declaration of Rights for Natural Entities”, issued by a future Austrian government, certain entities are entitled to certain rights, including the right to bring proceedings in front of court. The case exhibited tells the story of a melting glacier, which – represented by its guardian – claims restitution through civil forces in the form of a physical rebuilding. This Sisyphean task is expected to last for multiple generations, as an attempt to re-establish the injured entity’s dignity.
In a post-abundant Austria, natural entities have gained the status of a legal person. According to the „Declaration of Rights for Natural Entities”, issued by a future Austrian government, certain entities are entitled to certain rights, including the right to bring proceedings in front of court. The case exhibited tells the story of a melting glacier, which – represented by its guardian – claims restitution through civil forces in the form of a physical rebuilding. This Sisyphean task is expected to last for multiple generations, as an attempt to re-establish the injured entity’s dignity.
Visitors to the installation experienced an atmospheric soundscape featuring cracking sounds of a glacier occasionally disrupted by the noise of a siren. Reacting to this alarm, life-sized figures fulfilling their compensatory civil service – spraying water to replenish the melting glacier – appear on the translucent face of a monumental ice-like structure.
Soon on show at the BATB Beijing Art and Technology Biennale 2022 at CUBE Art Center, Beijing.
September 23, 2022 - January 31, 2023.
"Restitution of A Glacier" was part of the Austrian Pavilion "After Abundance" at the London Design Biennale 2018 themed "Emotional State" and shown at Somerset House.
2018
In collaboration with Carmen Farr, Felix Lenz, Ula Reutina
Catalogue of the exhibition After Abundance: Design Investigations, Edition Angewandte, Birkhäuser, 2019
Article in The New York Times: “Mind and Body Take Center Stage at This Year’s London Design Biennale” (September 3rd 2018, print issue September 4th)
Article in Biorama #55: “Nach dem Überfluss”, (p. 10-11) - June 14, 2018
Article on It´s Nice that: “Emotional States: why the theme for 2018's London Design Biennale is more important than ever”, July 18, 2018
Article in Kurier: “London Design Biennale: Ende des Überflusses: Der österreichische Beitrag betrachtet die Rolle von Design vor dem Hintergrund immer knapper werdender Rohstoffe.” April 19, 2018
Blogpost on artdaily.org: “Speculative installation is Austrian contribution for the London Design Biennale 2018” September 9, 2018
ORF Kulturmontag, April 23, 2018
Article on metropolismag: “Psychoanalyzing the 8 Best Pavilions of the London Design Biennale”
September 6, 2018
September 6, 2018